Flexible spring-coupling.



G. ULVEN. FLEXIBLE SPRING COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED $32114, 1914.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

lV/T/YEJJEJ e W Z M M w m A J as ORRIS PETERS CO., FHOTC-LITHO..WASHINGTON, D. c

TTEI) STATES PATENT GFFICE.

CHRISTIAN ULvnN, OF s1. PAUnMINNnsoTA, ASSI'GNOR TO MINNEAPOLIS IRONsronn COMPANY, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION.

FLEXIBLE SPRING-COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed. September 14, 1914. Serial Nb. 861,488.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN ULvnN,

citizen of the United States, resident of St.

Paul, county of Ramsey, State of Minnesota, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Flexible Spring-Couplings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a flexible coupling similar tothe one shown and described in my pending application for Letters Patentof the United States, Serial No. 855,813, filed August 8, 1914, butadapted particularly for use with a half elliptic spring or a fullelliptic, without a scroll.

A further object is to provide a coupling circular in form and ofsustantially uniform diameter at all points, to the end that it will beuniformly flexed when subjected to the pressure of the load, therebycausing an even distribution of the strain and producing a bettercushioning effect.

The invention consists generally in various constructions andcombinations, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed outin the claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, Figurel is a side view of a half elliptic spring on the side bar of a vehicle,showing my invention applied to one end of the spring and connecting itwith the bar, Fig. 2 is a similar view, illustrating the adaptation ofthe idea to an ordinary full elliptic spring, Fig. 3 is a sectional viewon the line wa of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, 2 represents the side bar of a vehicle frame and of thetype usually used on automobiles, and 3 is a half elliptic spring havingthe usual pin or bolt connection at one end with the bar 2. At the otherend of the spring I provide a coupling 5 of spring steel of suitablegage, having loops at each end forming eyes 6 and 7, the ends of thecoupling lapping by one another. The eye 7 of the outer end has a pin 8which pivotally connects it with the spring 3. The opposite eye has asimilar pin that is mounted in straps 9 which extend up upon each sideof the coupling and are pivotally connected at their upper ends to a bar2. These straps form pivotal connections between the bar and the innereye of the coupling and when pressure is applied to the bar it will betransmitted through the straps to the coupling and will be distributedthroughout the entire length thereof, a downward pull being exerted onthe vend of the coupling connected with the spring 3 correspondingsubstantially to the pressure exerted on the coupling from the weight onthe vehicle bar 2. The coupling will be put under tension or flexed,yielding sutficiently to have a cushioning efiect on the vehicle bar andwill take up any shock or jar resulting from the passage of: the vehicleover rough pavements or uneven roads.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated the application of the invention to a fullelliptic spring. The straps 9, instead of being attachedat their upperends to the vehicle side bar, are pivotally connected to the uppersection 10 of the spring.

I have found that by making the coupling in the form of a substantiallyperfect circle of uniform diameter throughout, that a much better resultcan be obtained than where the coupling is of irregular diameter for thereason that the true circle will be uniformly flexed at all points andthe strain thereon will be uniformly distributed, and there will be lessdanger of shock or jar resulting from contact of one portion of thecoupling with another during the flexing operation. This will be evidentfrom an examination of Fig. 1 of the drawing, where it will be notedthat the pivotal connection of the straps with the inner end of thecoupling is at a point where the application of the load to the couplingwill result in gradu ally reducing the diameter of the coil and flexingthe coupling evenly at all points without danger of bringing theopposing parts of the coupling in contact with one another and therebyinterfering with its cushioning effect. I have also found that by makingthe single convolution there is no danger of lateral oscillation of thevehicle body resulting from vibration of the coil.

The coupling may, of course, be made of any suitable gage of steel andits size may be modified to suit varying conditions, and in various waysthe details of construction may be changed and still be within the scopeof my invention.

I claim as my invention:

The combination, with a section of vehicle spring, of a flexiblecoupling, circular in form and composed of a single helical convolutionhaving its ends lapping by one another, the outer end of the convolutionbeing pivotally connected with said spring section, straps pivotallyconnected at one end with the inner end of said convolution and extendmgupwardly on each side of said outer end, andra membenconnected with theopposite end of said spring sectlon and arranged above the same andpivotally concoplel of this patent nay be obtained for near the topthereof adjacent to theouter end for allowing a maximum of uniformflexing and an equal distribution of the strain.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 1st day ofSeptember, 19%.

. CHRISTIANULVEN.

Witnesses:

EDWARD A. PAUL, GENEVIEVE E. SORENSEN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

